The combined power of eight former living goddesses brought down an April storm on a book launch During my first days in Kathmandu, I ventured into the medieval courtyard to catch a glimpse of the child peeking through the richly carved windows of the Kumari Ghar’s upper storey. I could…
Waiting for the end of war to restore giant figure of the prince of peace The baked biscuit cliffs of Bamyan shimmered in the dawn glow, the massive blank Buddha niches gaping like painfully missing molars. We had arrived by road late the night before and, stumbling out of the…
In Nepal we live more easily with our holy mountains, balancing our reverence for them with the need for tourism income Tis the season of summits. We await news from the mountains with a mix of jubilation and dread. Facebook is full of down-drenched bulky bravado hero shots, but Twitter tells of…
Pachyderm polo was Nepal’s star sporting event until it succumbed to the tide of public opinion in 2016 “Get up, get up, get up!” Raj’s clipped staccato shout echoes across the polo field. My teenage son lay sprawled on the cropped green grass, his glossy chestnut skittering to a halt…
Why should contestants be required to wear makeup, contacts, or show their teeth to show respect? The girl stood frozen on the stage, pale and rigid with fright as the audience’s impatient rustling turned to jeers and catcalls. ‘Just say something, anything,’ I mouthed, gesticulating encouragement to her from my…